DINING UPDATES -- Bertolli Blossoms In Oliveto's Kitchen

Published 4:00 am, Friday, January 19, 1996

If Paul Bertolli's cooking at Chez Panisse was four-star (which it was), then what he's now doing at Oliveto is in the galaxies.

After a decade at Chez Panisse, Bertolli left to explore his passion for Italian food. More than two years ago he came on as a consultant at this venerable Oakland restaurant and we gave it three stars. Now he's a partner in the business (along with Bob and Maggie Klein) and he's found his niche.

Not only is he producing the best Italian food in the Bay Area; I'd put his cooking up against that of anyone in the United States, or Italy for that matter.

When restaurants claim to make their own pasta, I let out a silent groan. Rarely if ever does it come out right. Bertolli's house- made rigatoni is so delicious it needs nothing more than butter to set it off. It's so fresh you can taste and smell the flour.

In addition, Bertolli makes his own sausages and cures his own prosciutto. He's importing his own rich balsamic. He starts with practically the same ingredients that made Chez Panisse so wonderful, and he treats them like royalty.

You haven't tasted grilled pigeon ($9.75) until you've sampled Oliveto's version, served with a vinaigrette over a bed of mildly bitter radicchio, balanced by sweet balsamic. The bird's flesh is so tender it practically dissolves in the mouth. Pasatelli in turkey broth ($7.50) is a soup we dream our grandmothers made. It's a mixture of bread cheese and seasonings that floats on top and adds a salty flavor and comforting texture to the forceful broth. Agnolotti of veal ($13.50), served with a light veal broth with butter, has a refined texture that belies its rustic taste.

Main courses, often a weakness at Italian restaurants, are every bit as good as the starters. I've had veal or lamb Milanese ($21) all over Italy and none can come close to Bertolli's -- he takes a triple chop, removes two of the bones and pounds it thin before coating it with egg and bread crumbs. It comes out of the pan with a bronzed coating that holds in the succulent juices. Sierra mackerel ($15) has a caramelized exterior topped with stewed artichokes with Meyer lemon and olive oil; the topping spreads over the fish like butter as you chew.

Desserts (all $5) are excellent, but they suffer by comparison. The almond tart ($5) was the best of the three, however, with a salty, flaky crust and a forceful nut flavor. The Meyer lemon sorbet lacked depth and the panettone bread pudding was similar to old-fashioned, custardy Coach House pudding, but not nearly as rich and seductive.

Service is on track: enthusiastic and casually professional. The main reason Oliveto doesn't get an overall four-star rating is its industrial-inspired interior. Fortunately, the restaurant is slated for renovation this spring; the owners will have a rotisserie and wood-fired oven installed, and the interior will be refined.

When that happens Oliveto should become a dining mecca that will compete with, if not beat, Chez Panisse.

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